196 THE WHOOPING CRANE. 



Arctic regions, from which it removes southward early in autumn. Abun- 

 dant in Georgia and Florida, and from thence to Texas. 



Adult Male. 



Bill long, straight, rather slender, but strong, compressed, pointed. Up- 

 per mandible with the dorsal line nearty straight, a little concave at the mid- 

 dle, slightly declinate toward the tip, the ridge flat and rather broad as far as 

 the middle, the sides sloping, towards the end convex, with a wide groove 

 filled by a soft membrane, and extending nearly two-thirds of its length, the 

 edges sharp but thick for two-thirds of its length, and very slightly serrated. 

 Nostrils lateral, placed at about a third of the length of the bill from its base, 

 oblong, large, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle narrow and very 

 long, the sides perpendicular at the base, the edges straight and sharp. 



Head small, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. Neck very long. Body 

 rather slender. Feet very long; tibia long, bare to a large extent, and 

 covered with transverse series of rectangular scales; tarsus very long, rather 

 compressed, covered anteriorly with numerous oblique scutella, posteriorly 

 with large, and laterally with small scales; toes rather small; the first very 

 small, second and fourth nearly equal, third considerably longer, the third 

 and fourth connected at the base by a web of considerable size, all marginate, 

 covered above with numerous narrow scutella, beneath broad, flattened, and 

 granulate; claws of moderate size, strong, considerably curved, rather com- 

 pressed, that of hind toe much smaller, second and third largest, the latter 

 with a groove on its inner edge. 



Fore and upper part of head to the occiput papillar, and covered only with 

 small hairs, as are the sides of the head. The plumage in general is soft, but 

 distinctly imbricated; the feathers rounded, those of the neck short. Wings 

 ample; the second primary longest, third and fourth nearly as long, first 

 longer than fifth; inner secondaries and their coverts curved downwards, 

 forming a beautiful bunch of loosely barbed feathers. Tail short, rounded, 

 of twelve broad rounded feathers. 



Bill dusky, towards the base yellow. Iris yellow. Bare part of head 

 carmine, with the hairs black. Feet black. The plumage is pure white, 

 excepting the alula, primaries, and primary coverts, which are brownish- 

 black. 



Length to end of tail 54 inches; to end of wings 53, to end of claws 65; 

 extent of wings 92; wing from flexure 22^; tail 7; bill along the ridge 5 T 4 2, 

 along the edge of the lower mandible 5 T 4 2, bare part of tibia 5; tarsus Hi; 

 middle toe 4i, its claw f . 



The young after its first autumnal moult has the sides of the head feather- 

 ed behind the eye, and beneath to the base of the lower mandible; the curv- 

 ed secondaries and their coverts are tapering and elongated, but not nearly 



